California registration question

[mrnda]

I am looking for a new truck, not new to the world just new to me.  alot of guys say "the tags are out of the system or out of the computer"  I know there are fines but do the tags ever go out of the system without a mountain of fees?  one guy had a truck with 1000.00 owed in back tags.  do not want to have to pay an additional 400.00 in tags on a 500.00 truck.  any insight or shared experience would be greatl

[slammed79]

After X amount of years the vin will fall out of the DMV's system, this was the case with my 69 Plymouth, it hadn't been registered since 2000 when I bought it in 05, it cost me somethin like 45 bucks to register it and I was on the road.

Of course I left Cali in 2007, so that might have changed since then.

[beastie_3]

Im not sure. I would go talk to a DMV specialist at a AAA office. It beats having to call or walk in to an actual CA DMV. Check online as well, you might be able to find your answers in the FAQ section or email them.

[bake74]

     The last time I checked it was 4 years with no activation on the vin# and it drops out.  The easiest way is to go to  http://dmv.ca.gov/portal/home/dmv.htm  and go to vehicle registration, type in the vin # and it will tell you if it is in the system, and if so if there are any back fee's that are due.  I use it all the time, I had too many people tell me no fee's due, I always check.

[txchainsawgogi]

God i hate california.